Starting Signals
KA · CT · AA
Sent at the very beginning of a transmission to alert the receiving station that a message is coming. KA / CT opens every transmission. AA starts a new line within a message.
KA CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW K
All Morse Code Prosigns — Complete Chart
A prosign (procedural signal) is sent as a single fused unit — no inter-letter gap between the component letters. This distinguishes them from regular words. Prosigns convey operating instructions: when to start, stop, wait, go ahead, or call for help. Filter by category or click any card to play.
| Prosign | Meaning | Morse Code | Pattern | Category | Signals | Punctuation | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KA | Start of Transmission / Attention | -.-. | Start | 4 | — | ||
| CT | Commence Transmission (same as KA) | -.-. | Start | 4 | — | ||
| AA | New Line / Start New Paragraph | .-.- | Start | 4 | — | ||
| AR | End of Message / All Received | .-.-. | End | 5 | + | ||
| SK | End of Contact / Silent Key | ...-.- | End | 6 | — | ||
| VA | End of Work (same as SK) | ...-.- | End | 6 | — | ||
| K | Go Ahead — Any Station | -.- | Flow | 3 | — | ||
| KN | Go Ahead — Named Station Only | -.--. | Flow | 5 | ( | ||
| KK | Go Ahead — Closing Parenthesis | -.--.- | Flow | 6 | ) | ||
| AS | Wait / Stand By | .-... | Flow | 5 | & | ||
| BK | Break — Invite Reply | -...-.- | Flow | 7 | — | ||
| CQ | General Call — Any Station | -.-. --.- | Calling | 8 | — | ||
| CL | Closing Station / Going QRT | -.-. .-.. | Calling | 8 | — | ||
| DE | From / This is (identifier) | -.. . | Calling | 4 | — | ||
| BT | New Paragraph / Break Text | -...- | Message | 5 | = | ||
| SN | Understood / Received | ...-. | Message | 5 | — | ||
| DN | Fraction Bar / Division | -..-. | Message | 5 | / | ||
| KW | Urgency / Keep Working | -.-.-- | Message | 6 | ! | ||
| SOS | International Distress Signal | ...---... | Distress | 9 | — | ||
| NJ | Shift to Wabun (Japanese Morse) | --.--- | Special | 6 | — |
How Prosigns Are Used — Category Guide
Prosigns follow strict conventions on when they appear in a QSO (contact). Understanding the order of operations makes each prosign instantly recognizable in context.
Ending Signals
AR · SK · VA
AR ends the message body (more to follow from you or another). SK / VA ends the entire contact — the station is done and may go off-air.
...73 de W1AW AR W2XYZ K
...73 de W1AW SK
...73 de W1AW SK
Flow Control
K · KN · AS · BK
K invites any station to reply. KN invites only the named station. AS asks the other station to wait. BK breaks mid-message to invite a quick reply.
...PSE QSL de W1AW KN
QRX 5 min AS
QRX 5 min AS
Calling Signals
CQ · CL · DE
CQ is the general call to any station worldwide. DE means "from" — always followed by callsign. CL closes the station and goes off air.
CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW W1AW K
Message Signals
BT · SN · DN · KW
BT separates sections within a message. SN confirms receipt. DN encodes fractions. KW signals urgency.
NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTON BT RST 599
Distress Signal
SOS
SOS is sent as one continuous unbroken unit — ...---... — with no gaps between letters. It is the internationally recognized distress call on all frequencies.
SOS SOS SOS DE SHIP XYZ SOS SOS SOS
Typical CW QSO — Where Each Prosign Appears
| Open | W1AW | KA CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW W1AW W1AW K | General call, any station reply |
| Reply | W2XYZ | W1AW DE W2XYZ W2XYZ KN | Directed reply to W1AW only |
| Message | W1AW | W2XYZ DE W1AW BT NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTON BT RST 599 AR KN | BT separates sections, AR ends message |
| Wait | W1AW | QRX 2 AS | Stand by 2 minutes |
| Reply | W2XYZ | SN TNX 73 DE W2XYZ AR W1AW K | SN = understood, AR ends, K = go ahead |
| Close | W1AW | 73 DE W1AW SK CL | SK ends contact, CL closes station |
Each Prosign in Detail
Every prosign has its own anchor section with meaning, tap pattern, usage examples, and notes on any related punctuation mark. Sections are linkable directly — e.g. /morse-code-prosigns/#pss-AR.
KA
-.-.
KA — Start of Transmission
Sent at the very beginning of every CW transmission to alert the receiving station. KA (also called CT — Commence Transmission) is the prosign equivalent of clearing your throat before speaking. It is fused: dit not sent as K then A separately.
Taplong · short · long · shortSounddah dit dah dit
KA CQ CQ DE W1AW KOpens every TXSame code as CTCT
-.-.
CT — Commence Transmission
CT is the ITU designation for the start-of-transmission prosign. It produces exactly the same Morse code as KA (-.-.). European operators and maritime services tend to use CT; North American ham operators tend to use KA. They are interchangeable.
Taplong · short · long · shortSounddah dit dah dit
ITU designation for KAMaritime / European usageAA
.-.-
AA — New Line
AA marks the start of a new line within a formal message. In radiogram (ARRL traffic net) format, AA separates the address line from the text. It is the CW equivalent of pressing Enter. Note: this is the same Morse sequence as the first four elements of the period (.-.-.-) cut short.
Tapshort · long · short · longSounddit dah dit dah
Used in formal radiogramsSeparates address linesAR
.-.-.
AR — End of Message
AR means "all received" or "end of message." It is sent after the message body to signal the message is complete but the operator may still be on frequency and inviting a reply. AR is one of the most frequently used prosigns in CW.
Also the punctuation mark + — AR and the plus sign share the identical Morse code .-.-.
Tapshort · long · short · long · shortSounddit dah dit dah dit
...73 de W1AW AR KNMessage body + AR + invitationSK
...-.-
SK — End of Contact / Silent Key
SK is the definitive closing prosign. It means the QSO is finished and the station is signing off. "Silent Key" has taken on the additional meaning of a deceased ham operator — a tribute to operators who have passed away. SK is sent after the final exchange, not after each transmission.
Tapshort · short · short · long · short · longSounddit dit dit dah dit dah
73 de W1AW SK73 de W1AW SK CLMemorial: SK (callsign)VA
...-.-
VA — End of Work
VA produces the exact same Morse code as SK (..-.−). It is the ITU designation for end-of-work. Some European and British operators prefer VA while North Americans use SK. Both mean the same thing: the contact is over.
Tapshort · short · short · long · short · longSounddit dit dit dah dit dah
ITU name for SKEuropean usageK
-.-
K — Go Ahead (Any Station)
K is the shortest prosign and one of the most powerful. It means "go ahead" — any station may reply. Used after CQ calls and at the end of transmissions where any station is welcome to respond. Often combined: CQ K, AR K, DE W1AW K.
Taplong · short · longSounddah dit dah
CQ CQ DE W1AW KAR W2XYZ KOpen invitationKN
-.--.
KN — Go Ahead (Named Station Only)
KN is K with N — "named station only." Where K invites anyone to reply, KN restricts the reply to the specific station being addressed. This prevents pile-ups on busy frequencies and ensures orderly QSO conduct.
Also the punctuation mark ( — KN and the open parenthesis share the identical Morse code -.--..
Taplong · short · long · long · shortSounddah dit dah dah dit
AR W2XYZ KNRestricts reply to named stationKK
-.--.-
KK — Go Ahead (Closing)
KK is the closing parenthesis prosign — KN plus one extra dash. It is less commonly used as a standalone prosign and more frequently appears as the close parenthesis character in formal message text.
Also the punctuation mark ) — KK and the close parenthesis share the identical Morse code -.--.-.
Taplong · short · long · long · short · longSounddah dit dah dah dit dah
Close parenthesis in messagesLess common as standaloneAS
.-...
AS — Wait / Stand By
AS tells the other station to hold — stand by briefly. Often followed by a number indicating minutes: "AS 5" means wait 5 minutes. One of the most human prosigns: it acknowledges the other station while buying time.
Also the punctuation mark & — AS and the ampersand share the identical Morse code .-...
Tapshort · long · short · short · shortSounddit dah dit dit dit
QRX 5 ASAS (brief pause)Stand by momentarilyBK
-...-.-
BK — Break (Invite Reply)
BK breaks the flow mid-message to invite an immediate reply from the other station. It is a conversational device — equivalent to pausing mid-sentence to check if the listener is following. BK is also the call used to break into an ongoing QSO.
Taplong · short · short · short · long · short · longSounddah dit dit dit dah dit dah
NAME JOHN BKBreaking into a QSOMid-message checkCQ
-.-. --.-
CQ — General Call to Any Station
CQ is the most famous prosign in radio — a general call meaning "seek you" or "come quickly." Any station hearing a CQ is invited to reply. CQ is typically sent three times followed by DE and your callsign, then K. Note: CQ is sent with a normal inter-letter gap (unlike most prosigns), but is treated as a procedural call.
Taplong · short · long · short · long · long · short · longSounddah dit dah dit dah dah dit dah
CQ CQ CQ DE W1AW KCQ DX DE W1AW KMost famous radio callCL
-.-. .-..
CL — Closing Station
CL (going QRT / closing) signals that the station is shutting down and will not be listening. Unlike SK which ends a QSO, CL ends the operating session entirely. Often used together: SK CL. After CL, the station is off the air.
Taplong · short · long · short · short · long · short · shortSounddah dit dah dit dit dah dit dit
73 de W1AW SK CLGoing QRT / off airDE
-.. .
DE — From / This Is
DE is technically a French word meaning "from" adopted into international CW. It is always followed by a callsign: "DE W1AW" means "this is W1AW." Unlike pure prosigns, DE is sent with a normal inter-letter gap but is universally treated as a procedural identifier.
Taplong · short · short · space · shortSounddah dit dit (space) dit
CQ DE W1AW KW2XYZ DE W1AW ARAlways before callsignBT
-...-
BT — New Paragraph / Break Text
BT separates major sections within a message — equivalent to a paragraph break. In ARRL radiogram format, BT separates the preamble, address, and text sections. The symmetric dash-dot-dot-dot-dash is one of the most elegant and recognizable patterns in CW.
Also the punctuation mark = — BT and the equals sign share the identical Morse code -...-.
Taplong · short · short · short · longSounddah dit dit dit dah
NAME JOHN BT QTH BOSTONParagraph separatorRadiogram section dividerSN
...-.
SN — Understood / Received
SN (also called VE) means "understood" or "I have received your transmission." It is the CW equivalent of "copy that" or "roger." Sent as acknowledgement after a message or instruction. SN and VE produce the same Morse code.
Tapshort · short · short · long · shortSounddit dit dit dah dit
SN TNX 73Roger / Copy thatSame code as VEDN
-..-.
DN — Fraction Bar
DN encodes the fraction bar or division symbol in formal message text. Used when a number fraction like 3/4 or a callsign separator needs to be transmitted unambiguously in written-format traffic.
Also the punctuation mark / — DN and the slash share the identical Morse code -..-.
Taplong · short · short · long · shortSounddah dit dit dah dit
3 DN 4 (meaning 3/4)W1AW DN 7 (portable)KW
-.-.--
KW — Urgency / Keep Working
KW signals urgency — "keep working," do not break off the transmission. Used when an important or time-sensitive message is being sent and the operator does not want to be interrupted.
Also the punctuation mark ! — KW and the exclamation mark share the identical Morse code -.-.--.
Taplong · short · long · short · long · longSounddah dit dah dit dah dah
URGENT KW (message)Priority traffic markerSOS
...---...
SOS — International Distress Signal
SOS is the international Morse distress signal, adopted in 1906. It is sent as one continuous unbroken unit — three dots, three dashes, three dots — with no inter-letter gaps. The letters S-O-S are a convenient memory aid but the signal is a single prosign. SOS means immediate life-threatening danger and demands response from all stations.
Emergency use only. SOS is a legal distress signal on all frequencies. Sending it falsely is a criminal offence in most jurisdictions. If you hear SOS, immediately acknowledge and relay to rescue authorities.
Tapshort·short·short · long·long·long · short·short·shortSounddit dit dit — dah dah dah — dit dit dit
SOS SOS SOS DE (callsign)International distressNo inter-letter gapsNJ
--.---
NJ — Shift to Wabun Code
NJ signals a shift from standard international Morse code to Wabun code — the Japanese Morse system used to encode Japanese kana characters. After NJ, the receiving operator knows to decode subsequent characters using the Wabun table rather than the ITU table. Rare in modern use but historically significant in Japanese maritime communications.
Taplong · long · short · long · long · longSounddah dah dit dah dah dah
NJ (switch to Wabun)Japanese maritime CWRare in modern useProsign Tools
Prosign Player
Type any prosign code (e.g. AR, SK, CQ) and hear it instantly. Supports all 20 prosigns plus regular Morse letters.
Start typing to encode…
Prosign Practice Trainer
Hear a random prosign and type its code. Builds ear recognition for the sounds you'll hear most on the air.
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Practice Quiz — Both Directions
Test encoding (code → Morse) and decoding (Morse → code). Start with the 6 essential prosigns before tackling all 20.
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AR SK K KN AS BT
—
Q 1 of 10
Frequently Asked Questions
A prosign (procedural signal) is a special Morse code sequence sent as a single fused unit — without the normal inter-letter gap between the component letters. Prosigns convey operating instructions like start, end, wait, go ahead, or call for help rather than spelling words.
AR (.-.-.) means end of message — "all received." It is sent after the message body to signal transmission is complete. AR is also the Morse code for the plus sign + and one of the most frequently used prosigns in CW.
SK (...-.-) means end of contact — the QSO is finished and the station is signing off. "Silent Key" has also taken on the additional meaning of a deceased ham operator. VA is an identical prosign used by some European operators.
CQ (-.-. --.-) is a general call to any station, meaning "seek you" or "come quickly." It invites any operator listening to reply and begin a contact. CQ is typically sent three times followed by DE and your callsign, then K.
K (-.-) invites any station to reply. KN (-.--.) invites only the named station, excluding all others. Using KN prevents pile-ups and ensures orderly conversation. KN is also the Morse code for the open parenthesis character.
BT (-...-) means break or new paragraph. It separates major sections within a message, equivalent to a paragraph break. In ARRL radiogram format, BT separates preamble, address, and text. BT is also the Morse code for the equals sign =.
AS (.-...) means wait or stand by. It tells the other station to hold transmission briefly. Often followed by a number: "AS 5" means wait 5 minutes. AS is also the Morse code for the ampersand & character.
SOS (...---...) is the international distress signal, sent as one continuous unbroken sequence — three dots, three dashes, three dots — without any inter-letter or inter-word gaps. SOS means immediate life-threatening danger. Sending it falsely is a criminal offence in most jurisdictions.
AR ends a single message within a contact — more transmissions may follow. SK ends the entire contact — the station is signing off. A typical QSO ends with: message body + AR + invitation, then final exchange + SK, sometimes followed by CL if going off air entirely.
Prosigns are fused into a single unit so they are instantly distinguishable from regular words. A gap would make KN sound like two separate letters K and N. The fusion creates a unique sound pattern that an experienced CW operator recognizes immediately, even at high speeds.